In the past, telephone communication relied on bulky, rotary dial phones hardwired to walls. Moving or repairing them was a job exclusively for authorized technicians, leaving customers with no alternatives.
However, the landscape has shifted dramatically. Today, there’s fierce competition between established and emerging telecommunication technologies, with innovative contenders constantly entering the arena. This abundance of “voice over” options can feel overwhelming.
Let’s shed light on some prominent legacy and developing technologies and their functions:
Analog Phone (POTS): Despite the unexciting name “Plain Old Telephone Service,” it remains a viable option for single or small-scale multi-line systems. Recent trends include bundling local and long-distance services for cost savings, often packaged with DSL internet.
Voice Over TDM (Digital Trunking): This encompasses T1, PRI, and Integrated T1 services, requiring a PBX interface instead of direct phone connections. User experience remains consistent regardless of the connection type (analog or digital) to the provider. This option can potentially reduce monthly telecom bills for businesses exceeding six phone lines or requiring internet services. Savings become even more significant for those with over a dozen lines still relying on analog.
Voice Over IP (VoIP): This technology replaces traditional analog phones with digital counterparts connected to a network, similar to computers. Essentially, the phone now “speaks” computer language, specifically IP (Internet Protocol), using Ethernet for local network connections. This enables merging computer and telephone networks, streamlining communication. However, network speed can pose a challenge, potentially affecting voice quality more than data. VoIP’s strength lies in its rapid emergence as the leading network standard, making it the go-to choice for internet telephony.
VoFR (Voice over Frame Relay): This technology facilitates phone calls over private frame relay networks commonly used by large corporations to connect various locations. Like VoIP, VoFR allows sharing an existing computer network for telephone traffic. As a private network solution, it provides greater control over call quality compared to public networks like the internet.
VoATM (Voice over Asynchronous Transfer Mode): Contrary to its name, VoATM doesn’t involve ATMs for calls. ATM, in this context, refers to a private networking standard akin to frame relay, designed around small, uniformly sized cells. This design is compatible with optical carrier networks, enabling high-bandwidth transmission. ATM’s traffic engineering capabilities ensure reliable call quality, making it a popular transmission standard for major long-distance carriers.
VoWiFi (Voice over Wi-Fi): This rapidly developing technology allows calls through WiFi hotspots. While tech-savvy users have utilized software-based “softphones” on laptops for some time, VoWiFi is becoming integrated into cell phones, offering greater flexibility. The technology is continually improving to allow seamless call transitions between hotspots and eventually cellular networks for optimal call quality.
VoWiMAX (Voice over WiMAX): Considered a more robust and far-reaching version of VoWiFi, it’s not yet mainstream. However, once widely available, it has the potential to rival cellular technology.
Cellular: This ubiquitous wireless phone system is widely used for both stationary and mobile communication. Although multiple standards exist globally, “world phones” offer compatibility with most networks. The convergence of voice, PDAs, and text messaging is reshaping traditional phone concepts. Integrating VoWiFi and VoWiMAX capabilities will further blur the lines, enabling cellular phone integration into corporate telephone systems with features like transfers, forwarding, conferencing, and more.
Tag: voip
